Insulator support



Jan. 9, 1968 J. WIEMER 3,362,134

INSULATOR SU PPQRT Filed Feb. 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jean Wiemev BY M 4.41%;

ATTORNEYS J. WIEMER INSULATOR SUPPORT Jan. 9, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1965 INVENTOR Jean Wz'emer W ATTORN Ys United States Patent M 1 Claim. (Cl. 55104) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The electrodes in an electrostatic gas filter are hung from insulators which in turn are mounted in frameworks adjustably supported on the roof. When the roof sags, the electrodes can be brought into proper position by adjusting the frameworks.

This invention relates to an insulator support and in particular to means for supporting electrical insulators in an electrostatic filter.

In an electrostatic gas filter, the high voltage electrodes are suspended from insulators which are mounted or fastened to the roof of the filter. The spark or emitting electrodes which operate at high voltage are arranged within a frame which is suspended from the insulators. Arcing occurs between the emitting and collecting electrodes, even when there is only a slight change in the distance between the emitting and collecting electrodes, and upon such, the voltage must be reduced. However, a lower voltage causes a lower efiiciency of dust precipitation in the filter. In practice, the roof which carries the weight of the electrodes and the insulators will sag up to about centimeters during operation because of the heat of the gases in the filter, the less than atmospheric pressure in the filter, and because of the weight of the electrode frame. After the filter has been erected and adjusted, it is possible that the sagging of the roof caused by the temperatures and pressures within the filter will displace the emitting electrode frame so that the distance between the emitting electrodes and the collecting electrodes is changed with a corresponding decrease in the efiiciency of the filter. This is because the insulators are no longer at their original level when the roof sags.

Heretofore it has been customary to precalculate the sagging of the roof and then to adjust the height of the supporting insulators in the filter during the erection of the filter to compensate for the anticipated operating temperatures and pressures within the filter. In practice, these calculated values did not exactly agree with the actual change taking place during filter operation and a final adjustment was required. Such final adjustment was difiicult since, in order to adjust the electrodes, the high voltage must be turned off and it was impossible to walk or work on the roof because of the very high temperature of the filter.

The object of this invention is to produce a means of adjusting the height of the supporting insulators mounted within the filter in order to compensate for the changes of position of the electrodes due to operating conditions.

In general, this and other objects of the invention are obtained by mounting the insulators in open frameworks which are hung from the exterior roof of the filter by an adjustable means.

Another feature of this invention is that visible marks are placed on the adjustable connections so that observation of these marks from the outside of the filters will show how much the insulators have sunk because of the sagging of the roof. When threaded bolts are used for the adjustable connections, the bolt nuts can be turned to lift the open framework holding the insulators to bring the insulators back to their normal position. This assures that a change in the spark distance between the emitting and collecting electrodes can be determined immediately and corrected by a simple means.

The means by which the objects of the invention are obtained are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through an electrostatic filter through which the gases flow horizontally; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of a portion of FIGURE 1.

The electrical filter is composed of a housing 1 within which is a frame 2 carrying the high voltage emitting electrodes and which is hung by rods 3 from the insulators 4. Pipes 5 surround the upper portions of rods 3 for the purpose of keeping dust from the insulators by reason of gas swirls. The roof 6 is composed of a lower portion 7 and an upper portion 7 forming a rectangular box-like construction. The two outermost insulators are fastened to the portion 7 in the customary manner. When the filter is in operation, the pressures and temperatures cause the roof portions to sag as indicated by the dashed line 6, with this sagging being most evident in the center portion of the filter. According to this invention, the two center insulators 4 are mounted in rectangular open frameworks 8, respectively. These frameworks have a width which is slightly greater than the width of the base of the insulators. They are hung by threaded bolts 9 from the upper roof portion 7 Guide rods 11 are secured to roof portion 7 and extend downwardly through corresponding holes 11a in the top sides 8a of frameworks 8. Tubes 15 which are secured to insulators 4 and extend through corresponding holes in roof portion 7 and into pipes 5 also serve as additional guides as the frameworks 8 are being lifted or lowered.

A simple indicating means is provided by a wire 12 which is stretched from one side of the filter to the other above roof portion 7. The side portions of the filter do not sag so that the wire 12 stays in approximately horizontal position. Also, the wires will be effective to indicate a change in position even though they are not horizontal. The bolts 9 are provided with a target 13 so that a change in position of the frameworks 8 can be easily observed, as when the roof sags. When such occurs, the bolt nuts 14 will be turned to lift the frameworks 8 back to proper positions as can be observed by the position of the targets 13 with respect to the wires 12.

Other indicating means can be used according to this invention, such as light valves, ultra-sonic and electrical means, and a water level tube. The frameworks 8 can be lifted or lowered automatically by electrical control systems.

Having now described the means by which the objects of the invention are obtained, I claim:

1. An electrostatic gas filter comprising a housing (1) having a roof composed of a lower portion (7) and an upper portion (7') spaced from said lower portion, outermost insulators (4) supported on said lower portion adjacent the side walls of said housing, two rectangular open frameworks (8) positioned between said lower portion and said upper portion and intermediate said outermost insulators, adjustable threaded bolt means (9), (14) extending through said upper portion for hanging said frameworks from said upper portion, center insulators (4) mounted in said rectangular open frameworks, a rod (3) suspended from each insulator, respectively, frame means (2) secured to each rod for holding emitting electrodes, pipe means (5) surrounding the upper end of each 3 rod for keeping dust from the insulators, guide rods 11) secured to said upper portion and extending downwardly through said frameworks, target means (13) attached to said bolt means, and indicating Wire means (12) stretched across and above said upper portion for cooperating with said target means (13) for showing a change in the position of the frame means (2) when said upper portion (7) sags.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,798,761 3/1931 Salisburg 55146 1,837,489 12/1931 Rowland 55146 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5 1,035,457 4/1953 France.

407,294 12/ 1924 Germany. 914,299 1/ 1963 Great Britain.

FRANK W. LUTTER, Primary Examiner.

10 HARRY B. THORNTON, Examiner.

D. TALBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

